OECD environment report: Switzerland must manage its resources sustainably

Bern, 11.05.2007 - Thanks to all its partners, the population, parliament, the government, the cantons, the communes, industry and NGOs, Switzerland’s environment policy is bearing fruit, noted Moritz Leuenberger with satisfaction responding to the OECD report handed over to Switzerland today. However, Switzerland must establish a system of sustainable consumption for its natural resources, biodiversity, air and water in particular, believes the head of DETEC.

According to the OECD report, Switzerland is one of the leading industrialised countries in terms of efforts to tackle air, noise and water pollution. However, these efforts risk being in vain if it does not succeed in improving the efficiency with which it uses its natural resources (see box below containing the main points of the OECD report).

Picking up on the main conclusion of the OECD report, Moritz Leuenberger outlined four areas in which Switzerland had to undertake measures in order to better manage its resources:

Biodiversity: A host of instruments already exists, but a general evaluation of their efficacy, as well as of quantitative and qualitative aims is lacking. DETEC is currently examining whether there is a need for strategy on biodiversity.

Water: The dyking of watercourses over the centuries means that rivers are no longer able to fulfil all their functions: provision of drinking water and irrigation, absorption of flood waters, energy production and leisure. A system of integral water management should be put in place. A general reflection should be started on the improvements that can be made in the field of water management, particularly in terms of reconciling the interests of providing high quality drinking water, the renaturation of water courses, the generation of hydro-electric power and flood protection.

Sustainable consumption: In terms of traffic, for example, all impacts caused by cars (air pollution, noise, CO2 emissions) should be taken into consideration. The current Energy Label is to be replaced by an Environment Label. It would enable people to be aware of a vehicle's overall results and could serve as a basis for applying incentive measures such as a bonus-malus system at federal level or other measures at cantonal level.

Polluter-pays Principle: This is already applied in water purification, waste management and road freight traffic (heavy vehicle charge). But the enormous environmental costs, which total billions of francs, are not always met by the polluters. In the image of the de CO2 tax on fuels which has just been approved by parliament, Switzerland should develop economic instruments which encourage the economical use of natural resources.

Greater prosperity using fewer resources

Environment policy should pursue the following objective: improving well-being by using fewer natural resources. This objective should be pursued in all fields: in research, spatial development, in development cooperation and in agriculture and taxation policy.

The development of innovative solutions in the fields of less polluting technologies (e.g. the use of wood as a building material or the transformation of vegetal materials into renewable energy) and the economical use of natural resources should also be encouraged. Advances in these areas would also generate economic benefits for Switzerland.

Switzerland's environment policy should also be developed at an international level. Only measures taken at the global level can prevent a general overexploitation of natural resources. Climate change, which has to be combated by national measures and by concerted action by all states at international level, illustrates well the challenges facing environment policy now and in the future.

Address for enquiries

Further details:
André Simonazzi, DETEC Press Spokesman, 079 597 64 49
Elisabeth Maret, Information Officer, FOEN, 079 371 62 82